One arrested, two sought in east Modesto home-invasion robbery

Investigators on Wednesday had arrested a woman and were looking for two men suspected of conspiring in a home-invasion robbery earlier this week in east Modesto.

Maureen Buchanan was arrested on suspicion of home-invasion robbery, carjacking and criminal conspiracy. She was identified as one of the three suspects after an officer recognized her in a photo provided by the victim, said Modesto police spokeswoman Heather Graves.

Buchanan was booked at the Stanislaus County Jail on Tuesday and remained in custody Wednesday afternoon in lieu of $150,000 bail. She is scheduled to make her first court appearance Thursday.

Investigators have identified two other suspects, 27-year-old Daniel Reagan of Oakdale and 38-year-old Richard White of Turlock. Both are wanted on suspicion of home-invasion robbery and carjacking.

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The armed robbery occurred early Monday at the victim’s home in 2800 block of Stoneridge Drive, several blocks east of Oakdale Road and just south of Briggsmore Avenue. Police believe Buchanan conspired with Reagan and White to gain access to the home.

The victim told police he barely knew the woman, who showed up at his house at 6:30 a.m. and with whom he proceeded to have breakfast.

While they were having breakfast, the victim heard a knock on his door. Graves said Buchanan then let two masked men into the home, one of whom was carrying a gun.

The robbers ransacked the victim’s home and repeatedly demanded money from the man, Graves said. During the holdup, one of the robbers hit the victim in the head with the gun.

The robbers took the victim’s cellphone. Graves said one of the men drove away in the victim’s Ford pickup with Buchanan. The other man left in a 2000-01 dark-blue Chevrolet pickup with a white camper shell.

Reagan was involved in an April 13, 2013, incident in which he said he was lying flat on the ground, face down, and was being handcuffed by an officer when another officer kicked him in the groin.

The incident involving Reagan resulted in a misdemeanor assault charge filed against the Ceres police officer accused of kicking him. The trial for defendant Christopher Melton, the Ceres officer, is scheduled to start Aug. 5 in Stanislaus Superior Court. Melton has denied the charge.

Reagan told The Modesto Bee in September that he signed a personal-injury settlement agreement for $5,000, which precluded him from filing a claim against the officer or the Ceres Police Department.